The chief executive of NHS England is the head of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

in England, and is a senior medical management adviser to the

Government of the United Kingdom ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal coat of arms of t ...

. The chief executive directs the governing body of the NHS, and is the highest-ranking member of the Health Service's board. There have been nine chief executives of

NHS England NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...

since the post was established in 1985, following the report and recommendation of

Roy Griffiths Sir Ernest Roy Griffiths (8 July 1926 – 28 March 1994) was a British businessman. He was a director of Monsanto Europe (1964–68), and a director and deputy chairman of J. Sainsbury plc (1968–91). He was engaged by Margaret Thatcher in 1983 ...

. # Victor Paige 1985–1986 (1.5 years, as chair) #

Len Peach Sir Leonard Harry Peach (17 December 1932 – 5 August 2016) was Chief Executive of the National Health Service from 1986 to 1989. He was born in Walsall in December 1932 to Henry and Beatrice Peach as the eldest of six children, one of who ...

1986–1989 (3 years) #

Duncan Nichol Duncan may refer to: People * Duncan (given name), various people * Duncan (surname), various people * Clan Duncan * Justice Duncan (disambiguation) Places * Duncan Creek (disambiguation) * Duncan River (disambiguation) * Duncan Lake (dis ...

1989–1994 (5 years) #

Alan Langlands Sir Robert Alan Langlands FRSE FRCP (Hon.) FRCGP (Hon.) FRCS (Edin.) (Hon.) FRCPSG (Hon.) FFPH FCGI FIA is a former vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds. He is notable for past service as the fourth chief executive of the National ...

1994–2000 (6 years) #

Nigel Crisp Edmund Nigel Ramsay Crisp, Baron Crisp (born 14 January 1952) is a crossbench member of the House of Lords where he co chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health. He works and publishes extensively in global health and internationa ...

1 November 2000 – 6 March 2006. (5.5 years) # Ian Carruthers 7 March 2006 – September 2006 (interim for 6 months) # David Nicholson September 2006 – 31 March 2014 (6.5 years at the Department of Health and 1 year at NHS England) #

Simon Stevens Simon Laurence Stevens, Baron Stevens of Birmingham, (born 4 August 1966) is a British public policy adviser, former CEO, and independent member of the UK House of Lords. He served as the eighth Chief Executive of the National Health Service ...

1 April 2014 – 31 July 2021 (7.3 years) #

Amanda Pritchard Amanda Kate Pritchard (born May 1976) is a British healthcare official and public policy analyst who has been the Chief Executive of NHS England since 1 August 2021. Pritchard previously served as chief operating officer of NHS England and as chi ...

1 August 2021 – present From 1985 until 2013 the

NHS Executive The National Health Service Executive (NHS Executive) was part of the British Department of Health established in 1996. It advised Ministers on the development of NHS policy and was responsible for the effective management of the NHS. The Executive ...

and its predecessor bodies formed part of England's

Department of Health and Social Care The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for government policy on health and adult social care matters in England, along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwis ...

. Since April 2013 NHS England has been an independent statutory body. It has been argued that NHS England's independence gives the Chief Executive 'the potential to be a prominent national figure able to speak on behalf of the NHS'. Its clinicians, managers and health experts are employed as public officials not as

civil servants The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

References

{{reflist National Health Service Chief executive officers